Higher EducationCopyright (c) 2014 Johnson & Wales University All rights reserved.http://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/highered
Recent documents in Higher Educationen-usTue, 04 Nov 2014 16:54:11 PST3600Begin at the beginninghttp://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/highered/20
http://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/highered/20Tue, 07 Jan 2014 09:30:36 PSTFelice D. BillupsIntegrating Institutional Research Into the Organizationhttp://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/highered/19
http://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/highered/19Tue, 07 Jan 2014 09:30:35 PSTFelice D. Billups et al.Faculty Curriculum Styles: Do Style Preferences Influence the Preparation of Aspiring Teachers?http://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/highered/18
http://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/highered/18Tue, 07 Jan 2014 09:30:34 PST
This study explored university education faculty perceptions of their curriculum styles and their influence on the preparation of aspiring teachers. Using Miller’s (2011) curriculum inventory, a sequential explanatory mixed methods design included (N =11) graduate education faculty who self-identified with one of four schools of curriculum design: linear, holistic, laissez-faire, critical theorist. A follow-up focus group was conducted with N = 7 participants, where their views and theories of curriculum were shared regarding effective design and implementation of curriculum, and the transmission of personal theories to aspiring teachers. Results may be valuable to those who prepare aspiring teachers and develop teacher preparation programs.
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Ralph Jasparro et al.Strategic Planning: Is It Worth the Effort? The Superintendent’s Perspectivehttp://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/highered/17
http://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/highered/17Tue, 07 Jan 2014 09:30:32 PSTRalph JasparroCollege-Ready Urban Black, Hispanic, and Biracial Students: Why Are They Not Applying to College?http://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/highered/16
http://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/highered/16Mon, 13 May 2013 06:51:27 PDT
The study explored reasons why Black, Hispanic, and Biracial, first generation high school seniors who wish to attend college, do not apply. The literature indicated that these populations have consistently lower rates of college enrollment and educational attainment than Whites and Asians (Ashburn, 2008). Enrollment challenges included deficiencies in the areas of academic readiness (Forster, 2006), college knowledge (Tierney & Venegas, 2009), parental engagement (Auerbach, 2007), access to guidance counselors (Farmer-Hinton & Holland, 2008), and social capital (Burleson, Hallett, & Park, 2008). Future growth rates in American higher education will be spurred by those who are least educated and most economically disadvantaged (Epstein & Parrot, 2009). ^ Research was conducted through the lens of social capital acquired through resources internal and external to school environments. The research questions explored how environmental factors positively or negatively influenced college aspirations, knowledge of college admissions and financial aid processes, and other enrollment challenges. ^ Phase one of this mixed methods sequential explanatory design study collected quantitative data from N=26 seniors from two high schools in New England using a 25 question college interest survey instrument. The survey results assisted with the selection of the final n=18 first generation students were "college eligible", but had not yet applied. The survey results also facilitated the development of focus group questions for phase two. Participants for the focus groups totaled n=11; five from one high school and six from the other. Focus group questions were designed to more fully examine quantitative data results. ^ Results were analyzed with frequencies, percents, means, and standard deviations to describe levels of college knowledge, parental involvement of college processes, perceptions of college preparedness, participation in readiness activities, and counselor access. Primary findings indicated that concerns about college financing were constant, parents had low levels of involvement with college processes, few students had engaged in college support programs, and students relied heavily on counselors for college assistance. ^ Potential actions focus on community based support networks to increase parent learning opportunities, developing a guide to assist with basic college processes, and access to college campuses to provide students with information and experiential learning opportunities.^
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DeLois C. Lindsey et al.The Privilege and the Challenge: Storytelling and the Doctoral Experiencehttp://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/highered/15
http://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/highered/15Mon, 13 May 2013 06:51:26 PDT
Paper presented at the 45th annual meeting of the New England Educational Research Organization (NEERO), April 17-19, 2013, Portsmouth, NH.
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Felice D. BillupsQualitative Data Analysis: An Overview for Beginning Qualitative Researchershttp://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/highered/14
http://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/highered/14Mon, 15 Oct 2012 11:30:20 PDTFelice D. BillupsCollegiate Administrator Perceptions of Organizational Culture: An Analysis of Metaphorshttp://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/highered/13
http://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/highered/13Wed, 27 Jun 2012 08:16:36 PDT
This study sought to characterize college and university administrator perceptions of organizational culture, their perceptions of themselves versus other campus subcultures, and their perceptions of themselves as members of their campus communities, through an analysis of their use of metaphors. Primary research objectives included the identification of administrator perceptions of the dominant campus culture, their perceptions of related subcultures, their perceptions of group self-consciousness, and the characterization of administrators as a legitimate collegiate subculture. This study employed a qualitative phenomenological design, utilizing metaphor analysis as the framework for individual interviews. The very nature of the problem (i.e. asking administrators to describe their perceptions of their cultural environments) suggests that personal depth interviews provide the best way to make full use of a small sample, eliciting a broad range of rich, descriptive data from each participant. Qualitative research designed to reveal cultural conditions stresses the importance of context, setting, and the subject’s frame of reference (Patton, 2002; Schein, 2010).
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Felice D. Billups, Ed.D.College Student Perceptions of Student Life Programshttp://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/highered/12
http://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/highered/12Wed, 27 Jun 2012 08:16:35 PDT
The purpose of this sequential explanatory mixed methods study was to describe and explore undergraduate student satisfaction with student life programming at a small, specialized college in the Northeast. Phase I of the study employed a quantitative instrument to determine the satisfaction and extent of involvement with programming (N = 240); Phase II employed focus groups (N = 4) to further probe and clarify findings from Phase I and to develop a holistic profile of student perspectives on programs designed to supplement their collegiate educational experience.
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Felice D. Billups, Ed.D.Obesity, Educational Attainment, and State Economic Welfarehttp://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/highered/11
http://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/highered/11Thu, 10 May 2012 05:14:37 PDT
For the first time in history, estimates of the overweight people in the world rival estimates of those malnourished. The World Health Organization (WHO, 2002) ranked obesity among the top 10 risks to human health worldwide. In the early 1960s, nearly half of the Americans were overweight and 13% were obese. Today some 64% of U.S. adults are overweight and 30.5% are obese. Even more alarming, twice as many U.S. children are overweight than were twenty years ago, a 66% increase. Non-communicable diseases impose a heavy economic burden on already strained health systems. Health is a key determinant of development and a precursor of economic growth (WHO, 2003). Previous research suggests that states with higher levels of educational attainment tend to be better off on measures of economic welfare (Post Secondary Opportunity, 2002). In the U.S. adults with less than a high school education have higher prevalence of both obesity (27.4%) and diabetes (13%), while adults with a college degree had prevalence of obesity of (15.7%) and diabetes (5.5%) respectively (CDC, 2002). This study explores the interrelationships among obesity prevalence, educational attainment, and state economic welfare. It is hypothesized that as a state’s educational attainment rises, their corresponding obesity prevalence goes down.

This secondary analysis examines U.S. data from the Center for Disease Control, U.S. Census, and The Bureau of Economic Analysis for the year 2001. Fifty – one states (including D.C) were correlated with their obesity prevalence and high school graduation rates, bachelor’s degree recipients or more, per capita personal income, poverty rate, median household income, unemployment rate, and employed/population ratio.

The growing body of literature on the globesity epidemic (world corpulence) suggests that individuals are not to blame, but globalization and development, with poverty as an exacerbating factor. Some of the problem in the U.S. and abroad might be partially economic, with mass-marketed foods being cheaper, especially in urban areas, while fresh foods are becoming more expensive. In poorer countries people tend to get fatter as their incomes rise, while in developed and transitional economies higher income correlates with more slender bodies. Cultural factors might also be important in that many minority and lower income groups associate fatness with prosperity, a perception not shared with groups having higher living standards and education.

Results show that states with a higher percent of the population 25 or older having at least a high school diploma are negatively correlated with Obesity Prevalence (r = -.45, pminimum living conditions and health (as related to obesity) of their population, they ought to focus on high school graduation and increase the number of adults in their state who are at least high school graduates. However an “aiming high” state strategy would improve living standards well beyond minimum by increasing the proportion of the state adult population with at least a bachelor’s degree. The indirect affect might be to lower state obesity prevalence as more of a state’s population becomes better educated.

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Martin W. Sivula Ph.D.Assessment of General Education of Doctoral Students Matriculating in an Educational Leadership Program in a Southern New England Universityhttp://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/highered/10
http://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/highered/10Mon, 06 Feb 2012 06:33:49 PST
Higher education usually reserves talk of “general education” to the undergraduate experience. When entering graduate schools, graduate students have dissimilar and diverse undergraduate experiences in general education. Some graduate students have benefit of a solidly constructed undergraduate curriculum, while others have experienced broad distribution or no requirements whatsoever. Demography, language, and their disciplinary curriculum serve to divide them. Interdisciplinary programs have students usually study within the confines of two or more disciplines, and still they would be studying and researching within their disciplinary structures. Even bi-lingual and multi-lingual students still act within their linguistic structures. Stimpson (2002) created a term “General Education for Graduate Education” recommending that some form of general education be provided (course work in her case) in graduate education. At the highest level of education, the doctorate, we wanted to know the influence of the doctoral program’s cohort structure (as a Professional Learning Community) and its related environment on the enhancement of a student’s general education. We hypothesized that the students’ cohort structure and peer-to-peer (conversations) interactions in various settings increased the presence of general education indicators.
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Martin Sivula Ph.D. et al.Perceptions of Doctoral Students Regarding Factors Contributing to Student Successhttp://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/highered/9
http://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/highered/9Tue, 27 Sep 2011 06:01:53 PDT
Doctoral students comprise a unique population with special needs and concerns, both academically and personally. However, minimal research has been conducted regarding the programs and services that appropriately meet their needs, ensuring their academic success. The purpose of this study is to describe doctoral student satisfaction with Ed.D. program support services, offered at a small university in southern New England. Qualitative data from the first phase of this study identified factors that impede or assist in the completion of the degree program. These findings were used to develop a quantitative instrument to determine the satisfaction and magnitude of importance from students currently enrolled in their courses, in the dissertation phase, and alumni. This third, and final phase, consists of qualitative depth personal interviews with and reflection journals of participants to clarify the findings from Phases one and two, and to develop a rich, descriptive, holistic picture of doctoral student perspectives regarding success.
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Felice D. Billups et al.Exploring Organizational Culture Through Metaphor Analysishttp://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/highered/8
http://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/highered/8Tue, 27 Sep 2011 06:01:52 PDT
How would you describe your campus culture or your school environment? Would you carefully outline the details of the working conditions, the way people interact in meetings, or the unique communication style of your organization? Or would you rather use a descriptive phrase, or even a metaphor, to summarily reveal your organization’s culture? Metaphor analysis, as a means to uncover organizational culture, is an increasingly popular strategy for qualitative researchers. In interpretative qualitative studies, metaphors comprise a form of linguistic analysis which assists researchers who are interested in an intensive but short-term evaluation of organizational culture (Patton, 2002; Schmitt, 2005). Since language serves as a pivotal cultural artifact, metaphors emerge from that sphere as a particularly expressive language form.
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Felice D. BillupsAcademic Integration of Doctoral Students: Applying Tinto’s Modelhttp://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/highered/7
http://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/highered/7Tue, 27 Sep 2011 05:59:13 PDT
Doctoral students comprise a unique population with special needs and concerns. While considerable research has investigated graduate student satisfaction and retention (Brandes, 2006; Golde, 1998; Tinto, 1987), much of the research views graduate students as extensions of undergraduates in terms of their motivations and needs.
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Felice D. BillupsSurviving a Doctoral Program: Student Perspectives of Support Serviceshttp://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/highered/6
http://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/highered/6Tue, 27 Sep 2011 05:59:12 PDT
The purpose of this study is to investigate student perspectives on factors that impede and assist in the completion of an Ed.D. program. Students at a small university in the northeast currently enrolled in their courses, as well as those enrolled in their dissertation phase, were included in this study.
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Felice D. Billups et al.Measuring College Student Satisfaction: A Multi-Year Study of the Factors Leading to Persistencehttp://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/highered/5
http://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/highered/5Tue, 27 Sep 2011 05:59:11 PDT
How satisfied are students with their college experience? Do they receive the academic and social benefits they expect when they enroll? At what point do they decide that their institutional choice is a “fit” or not? Numerous researchers have investigated these questions for decades (Astin, 1977; Noel, 1978; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005; Peters, 1988; Tinto, 1987). In the end, most researchers agree that highly satisfied students are more likely to remain in, and ultimately, graduate from college. One of the ways that colleges measure student satisfaction is through the administration of student satisfaction surveys. Satisfaction survey programs emerged in the 1960s (ACT, CIRP), and expanded significantly in the 1980s and 1990s (SSI, NSSE, Noel-Levitz). Today, survey programs remain a mainstay on most college campuses. Their endurance and popularity persists for several reasons. First, college administrators use satisfaction surveys to measure student perceptions of the campus experience in order to identify those areas where the institution is performing well. Conversely, colleges also use survey findings to target areas for improvement or to identify a need for new programs. Strengthening academic and co-curricular programs forms the basis for high-achieving institutions, contributing to institutional effectiveness and ensuring student success (Bryant, 2006). Second, research indicates that dissatisfied students often become drop-outs (Bryant, 2006). Attrition lowers enrollment, hindering institutional reputation and reducing institutional vitality (Miller, 2003). While some student discontent is unavoidable, the best way to retain students is to effectively market the institution, ensuring an optimal student/college “fit” (Schertzer & Schertzer, 2004). When a mismatch occurs, it may lead to dissatisfaction, which, in turn, results 2 in a lack of institutional commitment and increased attrition. Colleges with higher satisfaction levels enjoy higher retention and graduation rates, lower loan default rates and increased alumni giving (Miller, 2003). Successful institutions realize that it is better to invest at the onset to retain their students by identifying what enhances student satisfaction (Elliott & Shin, 2002). Third, satisfaction surveys provide insights as to how institutional quality and reputation is perceived by various audiences. Institutional reputation is based on many factors, and drop-out rates are one of these factors. Developing a more cogent understanding of what keeps a student satisfied limits student attrition and creates a more sustainable campus environment (Elliott & Shin, 2002). Fourth, and lastly, student survey results aid in strategic planning and institutional goalsetting, providing important direction for operational objectives and program planning. The relationship between retention, student satisfaction, and institutional goals is a strong one(Schertzer & Schertzer, 2004). Institutions that use survey data to guide decision making develop an in-depth understanding of students as critical consumers and meet their needs more effectively.
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Felice D. BillupsDiversity Education and Student Perceptions of Campus Climatehttp://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/highered/4
http://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/highered/4Fri, 16 Sep 2011 10:05:31 PDT
The term diversity refers to demographic variables such as race, religion, gender, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, age, education, and geographic origin (Rynes & Rosen, 2006). Diversity can also include work group affiliation, life-style, career history, and cognitive style (Pendry, Driscoll, & Field, 2007). The demographic diversity found in the United States population can provide opportunities to embrace new customs and expand traditional roles. However, it may also create challenges as people struggle to find common ground in communities composed of individuals and groups with varied backgrounds and values (Rodriguez, 1998; Trauth, Johnson, Morgan, Huang, & Quesenberry, 2007).

Rapidly changing demographics within the United States and appeals for more access to postsecondary education have led institutions to continue diversifying their student bodies and to focus on improving inter-group relations (Muthuswamy, Levine, & Gazel, 2006; Saenz, Ngai, & Hurtado, 2007). With these changes, a particular educational challenge for universities is how to prepare students to value diversity and to help students recognize how their behavior can influence a school’s climate (Trauth, et al., 2007). Tharp (2005) states that one of the most vexing educational problems is how educators should teach students who are from different cultures, races, languages, and economics in a proper and fair manner.

Research demonstrates that structured forms of inter-group contact are important for improving campus climate (Pascarella, Edison, Nora, Hagedorn, & Terenzini, 1996). Indeed, institutions may inadvertently promote racial tension when they support priorities that work against encouraging a healthy campus climate (Hurtado, 1992). Diversity initiatives are often used to educate people about differences and improve campus climate. Because there is no set standard, the onus remains with the institutions of higher education to develop strategies and create systems that facilitate the goal of creating a truly diversified educational community (Brown, 2004). With varying types of diversity initiatives and techniques, varied outcomes are likely. The type of diversity initiatives selected and the resultant outcomes on campus climate are important factors to consider as the topic of diversity is explored.

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Bethany Zemba et al.Anxiety and Depression as Comorbid Factors in Drinking Behaviors of Undergraduate College Students Attending an Urban Private University in the Northeastern United Stateshttp://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/highered/3
http://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/highered/3Thu, 15 Sep 2011 10:35:04 PDT
High-risk drinking is the number one public health concern on college campuses (Berkowitz, 2003; Kapner, 2003; Wechsler, 2002). To date, high-risk drinking prevention programs have met with limited success (Kapner, 2003).

Volunteer participants completed a demographic questionnaire, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, and the Beck Depression Inventory. An ANOVA indicated differences among the groups with respect to anxiety (F = 6.49, p < .001), but not with respect to depression. The FHRD group had higher anxiety (M = .68) than the ND group (M = .33) and the LRD group (M = .44). A t-test indicated differences (p < .01) in the level of anxiety between HRD females (M = .69) and HRD males (M = .40), with no differences for depression. A chi-square analysis indicated differences between males and females with respect to drinking behavior group classification (χ² = 22.40, df = 3, p = .001).

Focus group results suggested several reasons why students engage in high-risk drinking: it is the norm, easy access to alcohol, low accountability for drinking, cope with anxiety, relieve boredom, lift depression, cope with anger, family history of alcohol use, alcohol dependence, and poor self-esteem. Implications for educators are discussed.

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Charles J. Vohs et al.The Relationship of Self-Efficacy with GPA, Attendance, and College Student Retentionhttp://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/highered/2
http://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/highered/2Thu, 15 Sep 2011 09:42:28 PDT
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between self-efficacy or belief in one’s capability (Bandura 1977b, 1986, 1993, 1997) and first-term GPA, attendance, and retention using a modified version of the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE) (Schwarzer, 1992, 1993, 2005; Schwarzer & Jerusalem, 1993).

The study “College” is part of one of the world’s largest for-profit career education organizations. At the College, 100% of the students commute to classes and live in the metropolitan area. A large percentage of students live in difficult urban neighborhoods and grow up with low family income, abuse, gang violence, drugs, health problems, poor English, and academic underachievement.

A study of student responsibility indicated that 54% of community college students are under the age of 25 and are not prepared academically or psychologically for what will be expected (Howell, 2001). They work to support dependents, frequently require childcare assistance, question their academic ability and perceive teachers as experts who dispense information and wisdom, and are frequently first-generation students.

First-term student success at the College is measured by academic achievement (a required minimum GPA of 1.5 on a scale of 0 to 4.0). Many students receive formal academic warnings at the end of their first term because of poor academic performance in terms of GPA (1.5-2.0) or are involuntarily withdrawn for a GPA less than 1.5.

The College has an open-admissions policy. Only a high school diploma or a GED is required for entry. Admissions representatives have a quota of students to recruit each term. Consequently, admission standards are flexible, as would be expected in a for-profit college. In this business context, being able to predict those students likely to earn a GPA of 1.5, consistently attend classes, and return for the next term translates into institutional success because continuing students generate future cash flow and profitability. The educational issue is being able to identify those students who need academic support to succeed. The purpose of this study was to determine if the construct of self-efficacy (Bandura 1977b, 1986, 1993, 1997) can predict student success and identify “at risk” students at the start of their first term at the College.

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Stephen P. Becker et al.Self-Efficacy and Post-Secondary First-Term Student Achievementhttp://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/highered/1
http://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/highered/1Thu, 15 Sep 2011 09:36:05 PDT
Generalized self-efficacy is the overall belief in one’s ability and Specific self-efficacy is task related. The study examined the extent and manner in which self-efficacy explains variation in first-term GPA. The General Self-Efficacy Scale was adapted and used with a sample of N = 194 students (34% male and 66% female) enrolled in a for-profit career education urban college. The data from two factors derived using an exploratory factor analysis, General self-efficacy and Specific self-efficacy, had alpha reliabilities of .73 and .75, respectively. General self-efficacy was correlated r = .18 with GPA and multiple regression analysis demonstrated that General incremented the explanation of variance 5% in GPA (p < .01). Specific correlated r = .17 with GPA (p < .05). General and Specific were significantly correlated (r = .42, p < .001). The two independent variables were equal predictors of success.
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Stephen P. Becker et al.